February 26th, 2014by Staff Reports and Wire Service in Local Regional News

Rossville-based drug ring suppliers get prison terms

ROSSVILLE - The suppliers of a drug distribution ring that was based in Rossville received federal prison sentences Tuesday.

Gerald Young, 69, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was sentenced to 10 years and one month behind bars while Rodney Strachan, 58, of Pompano Beach, Fla., received nine years.

The duo illegally supplied "tens of thousands" of oxycodone tablets, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Yates. They were a primary supplier to traffickers in Rossville.

Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force and Catoosa County Sheriff's Office revealed that John Alvarez was the leader of the local ring that obtained the pills from Florida and distributed them in Northwest Georgia and parts of Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Alvarez was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison in October 2011.

Young and Strachan each will be on supervised release after their prison terms.

Fire clears out Golden Corral

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Bradley County Emergency Services personnel responded to a report of flames at the Golden Corral restaurant on Stuart Road in Cleveland about 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The Cleveland Fire Department fought flames coming from the roof on the rear of the building. Customers and employees were evacuated.

There were no injuries, a news release stated.

Opponents rally against gun bill

ATLANTA - Two organizations are pushing Georgia lawmakers to oppose a bill that would expand the rights of gun owners in the state.

The state's chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and the Georgia Gun Sense Coalition rallied on the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday morning to ask lawmakers to oppose House Bill 875.

The legislation passed the House last week and is being reviewed by a Senate committee. Organizers of the groups say the bill would allow cities to permit firearms in government buildings, bars and houses of worship.

Demonstrators planned to deliver "common-sense cookies" that included a message about their opposition to the bill to committee members.

Officer shoots man after stop

According to the Calhoun Police Department, the incident began when Calhoun police tried to stop a vehicle on Spur Road near Yellow Jacket Drive. The vehicle did not stop, instead turning onto Beamer Road and proceeding to a construction site next to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

The driver then left the vehicle and ran. Once a Gordon County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit helped locate the man in a wooded area, he began to stab himself with a knife in the neck and upper chest before attempting to stab officers.

A Calhoun police officer fired one round from his service weapon, disabling the suspect, a white man whose identity was not released. He was taken to Erlanger hospital.